Columbia River PUD > News > CRPUD Pays Franchise Fees to Local Cities

CRPUD Pays Franchise Fees to Local Cities

May 2, 2018 – Five cities in Columbia County received a total of $668,275 in franchise fee payments from Columbia River People’s Utility District in April.

Utilities pay franchise fees to cities in exchange for permission to operate within the city rights-of-way. The fees are set by each city and are collected by the PUD from customers within the city limits as part of the monthly PUD bill.

The PUD’s 2018 franchise fee payments were based on revenues billed during 2017 within each city’s boundaries. The 2018 franchise fee payments were:

  • St. Helens – $421,895 (9.6% increase from 2017)
  • Scappoose – $166,335 (11.2% increase)
  • Columbia City – $53,163 (10.2% increase)
  • Rainier – $25,085 (3.7% increase)
  • Prescott – $1,797 (15.6% increase)

In addition to franchise fees, the PUD pays property taxes to the counties in which it operates. During 2017, the PUD paid $495,352 in property taxes to Columbia County and $6,661 in property taxes to Multnomah County. These payments help fund schools, police departments, fire districts, and other city and county services.